By Michael Oleaga / m.oleaga@latinospost.com (staff@latinospost.com) | First Posted: Dec 12, 2013 03:04 PM EST

Apple Inc. has encountered success in the smartphone market in China, based on new figures during October.

According to Counterpoint, the Cupertino-based organization is the third-largest smartphone player in China

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Apple's third place rank comes as the company represented 12 percent of the smartphone market share in the country. Apple previously accounted for a "modest" 3 percent in September.

The increase in Apple's market share was linked to the iPhone 5s. Although the latest Apple smartphone didn't attract long queues at local Apple Stores, it proved successful compared to the sales of the iPhone 5 during its first month of launch.

Apple's presence in China is expected to grow with the upcoming iPhone launch with China Mobile, the world's largest mobile carrier.

"With a China Mobile deal on the horizon, Apple's iPhone 5S at all three [Chinese] carriers will for sure ignite a 'price war' boosting the overall iPhone 5S sales in China," said Counterpoint analyst Tom Kang in a statement. "This might allow Apple to even reach the No. 1 smartphone player in December or January in China."

Related Must Read: Apple iPhone 5s Outsold Samsung Galaxy S4 Worldwide During October, Click Here for More.

As Latinos Post reported, China Mobile is expected to rollout the iPhone 5s starting Dec. 18. The deal with China Mobile could boost iPhone sales during 2014. According to Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster, 17 million iPhones could be sold during the next year due to the China Mobile deal.

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For the latest updates, follow Latinos Post's Michael Oleaga on Twitter: @EditorMikeO

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